Japan to control Australian LNG?

As Australia flirts with disaster in the Pilbara with growing Chinese ownership, the AFR reports of similar dynamics ahead for LNG and Japan:

Ms Sekiguchi, KPMG’s Tokyo-based head of energy and natural resources in Asia Pacific, said Asian utilities, trading houses and national oil companies, particularly from Japan, were enthusiastic about using their minority positions as platforms for further investment and potential acquisitions.

…But Singapore-based Tri-Zen International principal consultant Tony Regan said he doesn’t believe greater Asian involvement in Australian projects is likely.

“It’s not the time to be doing something that doesn’t seem to be satisfying any strategic objective,” Mr Regan said. “To increase your stake in a liquefaction plant or the upstream supply into it would be hugely expensive. If anything I think you could make the case of them selling those stakes as they are not getting any benefit from them.”

What’s not strategic about owning enough of local firms to control the price?